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Don Alley
Super Nomad
Posts: 1997
Registered: 12-4-2003
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
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The stub on the tourist visa is a big problem. Tourists are not always (ever?) told to hold on to these for their exit by plane. There was a rash of
incidents a few years ago when many visitors didn't even remember seeing such a thing, and had to pay the fine to board. We had a problem like Marla
described with a guest of ours.
This process presents a tempting opportunity for an individual official to pocket some extra cash. It's also an unfortunate regulation by the
government, charging more than double the original visa fee, when a passport stamp should suffice.
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djh
Senior Nomad
Posts: 936
Registered: 1-2-2005
Location: Earth mostly. Loreto, N. ID, Big Island
Member Is Offline
Mood: Mellow fellow, plays a yellow cello...
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Great Avatar, Don !
:-)
Its all just stuff and some numbers.
A day spent sailing isn\'t deducted from one\'s life.
Peace, Love, and Music
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ncampion
Super Nomad
Posts: 1238
Registered: 4-15-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
Mood: Retired and Loving it
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| Quote: | Originally posted by djh
Great Avatar, Don !
:-) |
Do you mean the shark or the ant??
.
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djh
Senior Nomad
Posts: 936
Registered: 1-2-2005
Location: Earth mostly. Loreto, N. ID, Big Island
Member Is Offline
Mood: Mellow fellow, plays a yellow cello...
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| Quote: | Originally posted by ncampion
| Quote: | Originally posted by djh
Great Avatar, Don !
:-) |
Do you mean the shark or the ant?? . |
YES !
Its all just stuff and some numbers.
A day spent sailing isn\'t deducted from one\'s life.
Peace, Love, and Music
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SunnyDay
Newbie
Posts: 21
Registered: 9-4-2009
Member Is Offline
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Don't get me started, but I got me started. Long story short, with the ID I had (shoddy admittedly due to having my purse stolen 2 days before
departure) the airline let me on. Nope, not good enough, had to pay a "fine" for lousey ID when arrived in Loreto. My daughter too who had all her
proper ID. This was pre-passport required days, but costs us a couple hundred bucks total. They were in cahoots with AeroCalifornia somehow too --
several other stories.
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Baja&Back
Senior Nomad
Posts: 549
Registered: 9-10-2004
Location: Vancouver, Canada / todo de Baja
Member Is Offline
Mood: Rarin' to go South!
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I am informed by our January Wagonmaster that the employees at Loreto Migracion charged our caravan $1500 in penalties for not obtaining FMTs at
Tijuana (where you cannot park 15 RVs). Not sure if the money went into the bank or someone's pocket. Seems the only ones this "shake up" has shook up
(or down) is US!
More details when the caravan gets back on the 9th.
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rockman
Junior Nomad
Posts: 97
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Port Hadlock, WA & Loreto BCS
Member Is Offline
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This could continue to happen if you do not make the effort to file a formal complaint (denuncia).
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Baja&Back
Loreto Migracion charged our caravan $1500 in penalties for not obtaining FMTs at Tijuana (where you cannot park 15 RVs). |
Barry....Is that dollars or pesos? Just curious.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64848
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Baja&Back
I am informed by our January Wagonmaster that the employees at Loreto Migracion charged our caravan $1500 in penalties for not obtaining FMTs at
Tijuana (where you cannot park 15 RVs). Not sure if the money went into the bank or someone's pocket. Seems the only ones this "shake up" has shook up
(or down) is US!
More details when the caravan gets back on the 9th.
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Have you ever gotten FM-Ts for your caravans at the border before, if not there then where? Even if you do get them in advance at the Mexican
consulate or Disciver Baja Travel Club... You still have to stop at the border to get them validated. Sounds like all 15 mohos need to wait there and
then meet up somewhere south of Tijuana... after each gets his FM-T and then leaves to make room for the next. 
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Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
Member Is Offline
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He should have known better
| Quote: | Originally posted by Baja&Back
I am informed by our January Wagonmaster that the employees at Loreto Migracion charged our caravan $1500 in penalties for not obtaining FMTs at
Tijuana |
Your wagon master should be staked to an ant hill and left for the Injuns.
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KAT54
Nomad
Posts: 263
Registered: 3-7-2006
Member Is Offline
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Is not the rule FMT at the border?
Did you break the rule?
Should not you pay the fine?
Should not you know better being a professional?
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monoloco
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6667
Registered: 7-13-2009
Location: Pescadero BCS
Member Is Offline
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Before we had FM3's we would get our FMT's at Guerrero Negro, a couple of times there were no immigration people there and we picked them up in La Paz
and were never fined.
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longlegsinlapaz
Super Nomad
Posts: 1685
Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
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Baja&Back, I agree with Dave & others above. If you're going to lead caravans down here, you have to know & abide by the laws & rules
of the country. To have failed to make sure everyone in the caravan had or obtained FMT's at the border is inexcusable. How they all got through the
GN check point is mind-boggling, but they could have also obtained FMT's there for a small monetary penalty.
IMO, the wagon master created the situation which was possibly exacerbated by Loreto Immigration taking advantage of what I view as total disregard
for entering the country legally. Who knows?? It MAY VERY WELL BE that the official fine for making it that far south
illegally could be $100 USD equivalent per rig, though it seems more likely the fine would be imposed at an individual person level.
Regardless the situation could & should have been avoided through better planning & the caravan company/wagon master insisting that everyone
in the caravan obtained FMT's either in advance or at the border at the time of entry into the country.
Baja&Back, I feel you're directing your anger towards the wrong place....UNLESS....it can be proven the fines imposed were above the legal amount
imposed for this type of violation.
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rockman
Junior Nomad
Posts: 97
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Port Hadlock, WA & Loreto BCS
Member Is Offline
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I've been told that fines, like fees for FM-3s, are supposed to be paid at a bank, and the receipt shown to Imigracion.
Correct ?
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18377
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Baja&Back
I am informed by our January Wagonmaster that the employees at Loreto Migracion charged our caravan $1500 in penalties for not obtaining FMTs at
Tijuana (where you cannot park 15 RVs). Not sure if the money went into the bank or someone's pocket. Seems the only ones this "shake up" has shook up
(or down) is US!
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Do you tell your customers to get their visas on their own? Or does your service include visas?
As tour operator, you should arrange visas for your customers, or clearly tell customers that is their responsibility. Lack of parking is no excuse
-- as operator you need to figure out how to do it right. Either obtain in advance or cross border in small groups
[Edited on 2-3-2010 by mtgoat666]
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longlegsinlapaz
Super Nomad
Posts: 1685
Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by rockman
I've been told that fines, like fees for FM-3s, are supposed to be paid at a bank, and the receipt shown to Imigracion.
Correct ? |
Correct!! Immigration personnel are NOT authorized to request/accept money for anything, this is the reason that we're required to
pay at the bank & take the stamped receipt back to Immigration.
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BCSTech
Senior Nomad
Posts: 584
Registered: 4-16-2006
Location: Todos Santos, BCS / Placerville, CA.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Carpe Manana
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When we came down with Vagabundos in 2005, at least 20 rigs drove straight through the border crossing a TJ, and the guards were waving us through.
Stopped at GN two days later and had to wait for someone to come open the office. No one in the GN office seemed to mind this, and we weren't charged
a fine.
Paid the FM-T fees at the bank in Loreto.
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roundtuit
Senior Nomad
Posts: 607
Registered: 12-21-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: Wife's Job
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2010 - 2005 = 5 time enough for many changes as Mexico has modernized with computers. Should have known better or asked some one on Baja Nomad
Never learned from a book-Only from mistakes, mine and yours
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Baja&Back
Senior Nomad
Posts: 549
Registered: 9-10-2004
Location: Vancouver, Canada / todo de Baja
Member Is Offline
Mood: Rarin' to go South!
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| Quote: | Originally posted by mtgoat666
Do you tell your customers to get their visas on their own? Or does your service include visas?
As tour operator, you should arrange visas for your customers, or clearly tell customers that is their responsibility. Lack of parking is no excuse
-- as operator you need to figure out how to do it right. Either obtain in advance or cross border in small groups
[Edited on 2-3-2010 by mtgoat666] |
If there WERE clear cut rules, we'd be the first to obey them. Migracion changes procedures year by year.
Migracion or the Consulates have always refused to give us 32 blank FMT forms.
At one time, we took the guests down on the Tijuana Trolley to walk thru the gates to get FMTs as a group.
One time, on Migracion officers advice, we all pulled into secondary at San Ysidro. Got told to move on or face arrest.
For 2 years, got FMTs at Ensenada. Mr. Skinny Wire Glasses would suggest a bit of something for his personal desk drawer. Finally he realized his job
was much easier if he only did FMTs for yachties, and we should move on to State line.
Last 2 years, Ms. Pretty Lady at Guerrero Negro office, and her Compadres, would fill out our forms (for a fee) & I would pay at Bancomer in town.
One trip, on a Sunday, we had to go to Migracion office on the main drag in Loreto. They very happily processed 32 FMTs & insisted I pay them
directly at the office.
This winter, I stopped at Stateline TWO times & verified procedures with Magdalena and her new supervisor. No problema, they said. The tour,
unfortunately, arrived on a Sunday, and moved on to Loreto downtown office as per company instructions. There, officials told them rules changed Nov
30/09 & forced them to pay a $48 USD fine, as well as the $24 FMT charge.
Still waiting to find out if this "fine" was paid directly to the officials at the office & receipts issued, or what.
Based on all this, It's back to the trolley ride to TJ again for the upcoming tour. (unless the Banjercito clerk decides it's against union rules to
process 32 forms at once)
... and THEY complain not enough tourists want to visit Baja. Wonder why not???
Viva Mexico! 
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CaboRon
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3401
Registered: 3-24-2007
Location: The Valley of the Moon
Member Is Offline
Mood: Peacefull
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BCSTech
When we came down with Vagabundos in 2005, at least 20 rigs drove straight through the border crossing a TJ, and the guards were waving us through.
Stopped at GN two days later and had to wait for someone to come open the office. No one in the GN office seemed to mind this, and we weren't charged
a fine.
Paid the FM-T fees at the bank in Loreto. |
However, if you carefully read the fine print in your vehicle insurance papers .... you will find a clause that states the insurance is invalid
without a visa (FMT, FM3, Fm2) as soon as you cross the border into mexico.
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